Just how far are you willing to go to fulfill your dreams? To fulfill the dreams of those that you love and to live up to their expectations? It’s a question at the heart of The Words, a Sundance film that stars Bradley Cooper as a frustrated New York writer who is crumbling under the realization that his best might not ever be good enough. But then, before he can contemplate the ramifications, success lands in his lap. As Balzac wrote, “Behind every great fortune there is a great crime.”

Check out an exclusive motion poster for the drama, which opens Sept. 7, below.

Here’s a trailer for the film, which was powerful stomach-punch at Sundance. If you loved some of the themes explored in Quiz Show and Atonement, The Words belongs on your must-see list.